In the specification of South African Patent Application No. 2003/4660 there is disclosed an installation coupler for use in an office environment.
In such environments, where computer networks comprising many individual computers are found, the need arises to supply each computer with power. This is achieved inter alia by the use of installation couplers which link the power supply leads of the individual computers to the mains supply. Such couplers are not intended to be disengaged under load and remain permanently connected, except during reconfiguration of the network. An installation coupler comprises an installation plug which includes plug pins and an installation socket which includes socket contacts for receiving the plug pins.
It is not only computer networks which, in an office environment, need to be supplied with power. Other equipment such as scanners and printers also need to be connected to the mains supply.
The present invention seeks to provide a novel and advantageous installation coupler and a novel and advantageous installation for supplying power which coupler and installation are improvements to the coupler and installation of the above identified patent specification.